Courtesy of Conference USA
IRVING, Texas – WKU’s Miranda Kramer and Charlotte’s Lexi Betancourt were named Conference USA Co-Pitchers of the Week, while Louisiana Tech’s Pauline Tufi earned C-USA Player of the Week honors. In the circle, Kramer tossed 23.1 innings over the past week against South Carolina and Marshall, totaling 38 strikeouts and a pair of complete games behind a 1.80 ERA, while Betancourt posted a no-hitter along with a complete-game victory over UTSA to give Charlotte its first C-USA victory of the season. Tufi did it all for Louisiana Tech against a tough Florida Atlantic squad. The sophomore went yard in each game against the Owls and collected 10 RBI while performing in the circle on the side, striking out five in eight innings pitched on the week.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK
MIRANDA KRAMER, WKU | SR., WEST BURLINGTON, IOWA
Kramer pitched three complete games for WKU, keeping the Lady Toppers in every game, as she posted double-digit strikeouts in all three contests. The senior totaled 38 strikeouts over the week, allowing 17 hits and six runs. Kramer’s losses of the week at South Carolina and Marshall both came off walk-off hits. The Iowa native kept the nationally-recognized Gamecocks off-balance with 12 strikeouts before dispatching 15 against Marshall, holding the Herd scoreless through the bottom of the 10th inning in game one of WKU’s first C-USA series. The Iowa native bounced back in game two against Marshall to strike out another 11 batters and earn the win. It is the second C-USA Pitcher of the Week award on the season for Kramer, a preseason All-C-USA selection.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK
LEXI BETANCOURT, CHARLOTTE | SR., GARNER, NORTH CAROLINA
Betancourt had a great week in the circle, posting a 2-1 record and throwing a no-hitter on Thursday in a 3-0 win over Elon. The senior also picked up Charlotte’s first C-USA victory of the season in a 2-0 win over UTSA on Saturday. A preseason All-C-USA selection, Betancourt posted a 1.62 ERA in 21.2 innings and recorded 23 strikeouts. She now has 94 strikeouts on the season and 432 in her career, a mark good for fourth-most in 49er history. In her no-hitter against the Phoenix, despite giving up seven walks, she did not allow an Elon run while striking out seven batters. In her win against the Roadrunners, she pitched a shutout, allowing just three hits while fanning 10. The Garner, North Carolina, product also saw time against UTSA in the series finale, pitching 6.2 innings and retiring seven. It is the first C-USA weekly honor in Betancourt’s career.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
PAULINE TUFI, LOUISIANA TECH | SO., ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Tufi batted .357 on the week with three home runs and 10 RBI while leading LA Tech to a 3-2 record. All three of Tufi’s home runs and nine of the 10 RBI came against Florida Atlantic, which entered the weekend with C-USA’s top team ERA. Tufi hit a home run and drove in multiple runs in all three games against the Owls as she registered a 1.143 slugging percentage on the week. Tufi’s grand slam home run in the fifth inning of Saturday’s second game against the Owls proved to be the difference in the 6-1 LA Tech win. She also hit a solo home run (and added a SF RBI) in Tech’s 5-4 loss in game one and then added a three-run home run in Tech’s 8-4 loss in game three. The award is the second C-USA weekly award of Tufi’s career after earning her first on Feb. 23, 2014.
